Backup goes boom. What now?

Eric Gwinn, Tribune Newspapers

Q: The backup system I used for two of my older PCs was destroyed, and I'd like to go back and retrieve the data from those two drives. One system is an HP Pavilion and the other a Compaq Presario, both desktops.

I've heard how the likes of NSA, CIA and so on can retrieve everything and then some via a "deep scanning" process. Is there a commercial enterprise for the likes of "Harry Homeowner" where I can send my two drives and have them restore the data to a plug-and-play Windows-compatible external drive?

—Peter, Baltimore

A: Sorry for your troubles. Now be prepared for sticker shock, as some recovery jobs can cost $1,500 or more.

If your data is priceless, you're in luck; there are a few data-recovery companies around, and although they cater to government and business needs, they aren't above helping out us normal folks.

Services such as DriveSavers Data Recovery Services (drivesaversdatarecovery.com; 800-440-1904 for a free estimate) and Kroll Ontrack (krollontrack.com, click on "Data Recovery"; 800-872-2599 for a free estimate) deal with these scenarios all the time. Search for "data recovery" to find others.

Jobs are priced based on the type and capacity of the storage drive, the job's complexity and how quickly a customer needs to have the data back, among other factors.

Lawyers call these services during lawsuits to recover destroyed files on corporate computers. These companies' phones also ring a lot after natural disasters, such as the tornadoes that recently ripped through the Midwest.

How does it work? Picture engineers in white hazmat-looking suits working in a contaminant-free white operating room — "Think 'ER' for hard drives," says Mike Cobb, director of engineering at DriveSavers. "Once the data recovery is complete, the customer receives the data on a new hard drive or another storage device."

Good luck, Peter. Hope your get your data back.

Q: Is there a way to charge cell phone batteries outside of the phone? Someone was talking about a solar-powered something, where they put one battery on a mat (I think) to charge, while using the other battery.

—Ethan, Chicago

A: Powermat and Duracell are two companies that make such mats.

They work like this: A transmitter, such as a mat or tray or pedestal, is plugged into a wall outlet. A receiver — it can be an olive-size thing that adheres to your phone or tucked inside a silicone case for your iPod — is for your gadget. When the transmitter and receiver are near each other, a small electromagnetic field is created, which the receiver turns into energy to charge the battery. So, your battery needs to stay in your gadget while it's charging, meaning you can't charge your spare battery on the mat while your main battery is with you, inside your phone.

Inductive chargers run from $30 to charge one gadget up to $99 to charge several gadgets simultaneously, and you can find them in electronics stores in your city and online.

I like them because they eliminate the tangle of wires created when I have a nest of adapters for my horde of electronics (and no more worries about losing the adapters!).

Have a question about your computer, cellphone, camera or any gadget? Let us know! E-mail Eric Gwinn at egwinn@tribune.com, and you could be featured in an upcoming Gadget Q&A column.